Chez Fonfon

Chez Fonfon is a classic French bistro. The service and food are both top notch. The atmosphere is very open and inviting. I have eaten here on many occasions and every time I leave I only have the best things to say. I love ordering their omelettes. They usually have 2 different ones on the menu and they both come with a small side of greens and French fries. Chez Fonfon also has the best mussels in Birmingham bar none! I have yet to eat a mussel dish that can compare to theirs. The broth that they come in is just a mouthful of butteriness and wine and so many other yummies. You just have to try it! Last but not least, their desserts are amazing! The coconut cake is one of their signature desserts and it is perfect– not too sweet. They also have other desserts that rotate depending on the season but the coconut cake is always on the menu.

Still magnificent. Joined my mother and sister-​in-​law for dinner earlier tonight. Everything was delicious from the cocktails to desserts. My salmon entrée was divine, but I really think it was outshined a bit by the creamed cabbage that came with it. Our server was wonderful and able to make suggestions on our meal, even selecting the cheeses for our tray for us. A fantastic experience all around.

We started the night with a couple of martini’s at Highlands Bar; then at Chez Fon Fon I had Ahi tuna as they had run out of grouper. My wife had beef cheeks. We split the escargot and had the lemon cheesecake for dessert. It was all good; interesting; fresh and an enjoyable night.

I went here with my husband for our third anniversary. The meal was the best I have had in a long time. I had the tilefish with corn and couscous salad in a white wine reduction. Husband got the burger. We also had the fish paillard and two cocktails. The coconut cake we had for dessert was the best I have ever eaten. Their waiters are top notch and are so helpful! I can’t wait to go back.

You know a joint is fancy when the server asks your date if he would like a dark linen instead of white so he doesn’t get lint on his dark pants. Now that’s accommodation. I’ve been here a few more times since my husband brought me to experience the nationally-​recognized best cheeseburger in Alabama, and Chef Fon Fon never disappoints. Kiyomi makes excellent cocktails, so if you wander in and the place is packed, sidle up to the bar and pick your poison. I recommend the French 75. While the burger may be what brings you in the first time, don’t be afraid to try something different on the menu (maybe even something you can’t pronounce). The mussels are outstanding, and the coq au vin is authentic comfort food, French-​style. You also get a fine dining experience at a surprising price. It’s not as expensive as you might expect. It’s a great place — to bring a date to impress them, to celebrate any special occasion, or just because.

Great spot and great service. Had their burger since I’ve heard so much of this thing. It was a really good burger but not the best I’ve had. Seemed to be covered with a little too much salty seasoning but it was still enjoyable. Overall if your looking for a nice spot with good food I’d recommend it.

I love this place. Staff is super friendly, drinks on point and food is delicious. Like my friends and I stuffed ourselves with three courses and were pretty upset we had to leave some of the coconut cake and pear & almond tart behind! Moules et frites & crab cakes were the selected entrees and they did not disappoint. I mean plates were clean going back :)! Always confident when taking out of towners that they will enjoy a great night at Chez Fonfon!

My fiancée’ and I waited in line for two hours a few months ago… when we were finally seated — the restaurant was out of there famous burger. We decided to come back on a week day. We also decided to call our order in. We tried the burger. It was well seasoned, nice size and tasty. The fries were fresh. The cost of one plate was approximately 16.00. It was worth it but don’t think I would return «unless» someone else was paying… a bit on the expensive side. It worth a try if your pockets can handle the cost.

The menu is small, and so is the restaurant — which is good. It is usually really packed during lunch/​dinner. I usually go during lunch time. The service has always, always been spectacular and highly professional. Thursdays are my favorite days to go to Chez Fon Fon because of the Crab Cakes. I have tried a few things on the menu, but now have my heart set on the crab cakes! This is definitely one of the better places to eat at in Birmingham.

Came upon this place by pure happen stance. We split the burger and loved the atmosphere, everything was delicious! I’m not one to order a burger at a nice french restaurant, but I can’t help what I craving!
The only bad part about this place was our waitresses attitude. She did her job and was attentive, but unless she was acting snooty towards us with the intent to keep up the French theme I would be hesitant to go back
Looking at the other customers I could tell this is a great place for upscale dates, business meetings or other well dressed occasions. See as we just stopped in town to look at the architecture and grab a bite to eat for our raid trip we didn’t fit that criteria.
All in all of your a French foodie this is a winner

I came here with my husband the night I got engaged (so I guess it’d be hard to have had a bad experience!). It has been a while, actually, but I can describe it the best I can.
Chez Fon Fon is crowded, busy, dimly lit, romantic. Of course it’s expensive but you expect that when you go there.
I excitedly ordered the cheese plate (I’ve ALWAYS wanted to get one of those) along with my entrée. My husband got the burger/​fries which of course were really good!
I didn’t entirely know what I was getting with the cheese plate so I liked one or two of the selections while the other tasted like feet or broccoli. Oops. It was small and came with a few nuts and bit of toast.
We shared the most decadent dessert on the menu, too: the pot de crème. Literally just a bowl of chocolate, y’all. It was delicious … which you pretty much expect from a BOWL. of. chocolate. But, still.
The service was excellent, the food was excellent and the evening was, too. It’s an indulgent place I won’t go to often, but it’s great for a special evening.

After hearing rave reviews since I moved to Birmingham, I finally made a trip to Chez Fonfon, and I was not disappointed.
I got there around 7:45 for dinner and had a 45 minute wait, which can be expected with the small dining space. It was fine, though, because once we got a table, I felt like I was transported back to a café in Paris. The tile flooring to the warm tones to the dim lighting screams France.
Another downside to the late arrival was the fact that the ever popular burger was sold out. Disappointed at first, but I asked our waiter the next best option, and decided on the lamb shoulder. The lamb was so tender that it fell apart with my fork. It was served over a bed of chick peas, sweet peppers, capers and a house garlic hummus, topped with a yogurt dill sauce: Frank Stitt’s play on traditional Mediterranean. I was utterly impressed, and even more impressed when he walked out of the kitchen (must’ve been his night to be at Fonfon). Incredibly attentive executive chef. My boyfriend got the croque Madame that he thoroughly enjoyed as well. We had a carafe of house red wine for the table, which was very reasonably priced ($ 15) for 4 glasses of wine total.
Will definitely be back for the burger and steak frites, and would also like to be back for lunch to get the charcuterie platter.

I was honestly craving escargot, and made it my mission to get some. At 11:30am it was packed, and ended up getting the last seat at the bar. I ordered my escargot first and it came out perfect. The amount of butter and herbs with the tiny piece of toast on top was perfect with earthy ness on the snail. My main meal way salmon almondine with green beans and baby new potatoes. I admit I had over done it on the amount of buttery things to eat in one sitting but it was worth it. The salmon skin was crispy, and the sides were seasoned well. I was so full I had to take my desert of flan with me. The only thing that broke my heart was that the flan was very bland. I guess I just expected more the rest of my meal was so fantastic. None the less, I am already looking forward to the next time I go.

I have been dining here for dinner a handful of times and I’m not too impressed, as of late.
Con: I always order the fon fon burger. It’s never cooked right (always rare when I ask for medium/​well) and I always have to send it back! My frites last time almost broke my tooth off they were so hard. Inedible! Maybe I just need to venture out and try something else on my next visit.
Pro: The pear and almond tart, excellent servers and cocktails have never failed me!

We finally tried out Chez Fon Fon to see what the fuss is about and we were not disappointed. We started out with cocktails, which were all awesome… you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. We got a steak tartare appetizer and it was phenomenal. For dinner, I had the hamburger which was probably one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. (I hated to go to a nice restaurant and order a burger, but it was worth it.) I also tried the mussels and the sausage and fried egg, both were nothing short of amazing. The mussels were out of this world good!

I probably should have another experience at Chez Fonfon before I write it off… I get that Frank Stitt is the cream of the chef crop and all… maybe I just don’t know enough about French cuisine to appreciate it?
I had a chicken paillard dish served with greens. The chicken was incredibly bland. Meh… just not that thrilled by the dish.
However, the coconut cake was delicious!
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Having visited Highlands on numerous occasions, I was well overdue for a trip to Chez Fonfon. And I sure am glad I did. I knew I had to go and try the burger. I was SOOO tempted by some other things on the menu. But I had a goad and I followed through.
When we first arrived, we were told it was going to be a 30 – 45 minute wait. So we went to the bar to order a drink. We took a couple of minutes to decide. And because of that delay, our table was ready! A five minute wait… tops. That is always a nice surprise to have.
Once we were seated our waiter was very professional, yet relaxed. Exactly what I would expect from the casual brother of Highlands Bar and Grill. The whole atmosphere was a lot more laid back. Which really appealed to my wife. She loves upscale food. But hates the uptight stuffiness of some upscale restaurants. And the food did not take a hit by being more casual.
As an appetizer we got the Pâté, Ham, Fois Gras, and pistachios. I expected all of these items to be separate. But it was all mixed in its own slice. The flavor was exceptional. All of the items that came on the side were good too. If there is one thing I didn’t like, it was the consistency of the three mixed. I was expecting a creamy Pâté and Fois Gras when I ordered. But the Ham added a grainier texture. I would still order it again. I just wouldn’t be surprised.
So on to the main event. The burger. It lived up to the hype and more! We were told when ordering that the beef is ground fresh everyday. So no need to worry about overcooking for safety. He said feel free to order how you would a steak. So that made it real easy for me… rare! The flavor was unbelievable. They don’t add anything to it but salt and pepper. And the flavors are still great. The bun was phenomenal. Crispy but fluffy. And the onions. Oh my the onions. I could have eaten a bowl of those by themselves. The burger is truly a compilation of top notch ingredients that come together as a flavor masterpiece. And the fries are outstanding too. You can tell they are soaked to eliminate any starchy texture.
Yes it is expensive for a burger. But you just have to know that going in. And it is worth it. I am ready to go back for another trip and try another dish… although I will always be tempted by the burger.

I didn’t rush on trying this place because I’m usually not craving for French food, but now I regret I haven’t been before… because they actually don’t serve French food!
I realize sometime restaurants misplace their own labeling and definitions, but no matter how you want to call this restaurant… they make great food!
Tables are quite packed and possibly too close to each other, that said, the atmosphere is nice and good.
Service is very professional, and welcoming.
Did I say the food is great?! …the food is great! I would suggest to try All their appetizers, I think the best part of their menu!

Favorite restaurant in Birmingham. I love the French café feel, a little less formal than sister restaurant Highlands next door, and also a little more whimsical and fun. The cocktails are delightful, the servers are pleasant and very competent without being too imposing. The dishes are wonderful, I’ve loved every experience there.
My go-​to dishes are the Croque Madame with fries (top five favorite fries in Bham, maybe my very favorite) and the burger (also one of my top faves). I’ve also ventured out to the entrees on special occasions and have always been impressed. I find the cuisine to rival all of the French cafés I’ve visited elsewhere, even in France. It’s really that good, and always fun.

This spot is fabulous. I’ve been coming here for years, and will continue. The setting is intimate, small yet not cramped. Always pretty packed, but arrive before or after the dinner rush and you should be sat very quickly. Also, the back patio is beautiful, complete with a boules court.
Food wise, most things I’ve had are amazing. The burger is possibly my favorite, as well as the escargot appetizer and their specialty cocktails. Did I mention the escargot?

I have eaten here a few times, the ‘casual’ neighbor of Highlands, but truly a different experience.
Chez Fonfon is a French-​style walk-​in bistro with standard bistro classics, like frites, moules, croque madame, escargot, etc. One of my personal favorites is their starter charcuterie plate, could easily be shared with another, unless you are stingy like me. They also have a great house-​made pâté as well.
For main courses, they have a variety of sandwiches and omelets, the majority of which fall into the moderate price range of $ 10 – 15. They also have a large variety of wines by the glass and cocktails — again, very affordable.
A much lower-​maintenance experience than Highlands, and I don’t mean that in a bad way. Lower dollar and a good place to go if you want to get in and out faster.